Big Update On The WWE Network & WWE’s Relationship With YouTube

AdAge.comhas published a new article noting that YouTube is preparing to launch a new paid subscription service that would offer customers the chance to pay from $1-5 per month to subscribe to premium content channels. The article notes:

YouTube has reached out to a small group of channel producers and asked them to submit applications to create channels that users would have to pay to access. As of now it appears that the first paid channels will cost somewhere between $1 and $5 a month, two of these people said. In addition to episodic content, YouTube is also considering charging for content libraries and access to live events, pay-per-views, as well as self-help or financial advice shows.

It’s not clear which channels will be part of the first paid-subscription rollout, but it is believed that YouTube will lean on the media companies that have already shown the ability to develop large followings on the video platform, including networks like Machinima, Maker Studios and Fullscreen. YouTube is also looking outside its current roster of partners for candidates.

While the WWE Network is not specifically mentioned in the article, it appears that WWE could be one of their premium partners. WWE, which already has a multimillion dollar deal in place with Youtube, recently ended several of its popular Youtube shows, including Zack Ryder’s Z! True Island Story, WWE Download, Santino Marella’s Foreign Exchange and Are You Serious, it’s very possible the company will be changing gears and offering the WWE Network exclusively through YouTube.